The present invention relates to a sealing structure of a connect-through of a vehicle body through which a gas-filler hose passes so as to introduce one end thereof into the interior of the vehicle.
Various constructions of sealing structures for receiving the gas-filler hose are known from the prior art. In FIGS. 1 and 2, there are respectively illustrated constructions of conventional sealing structures for receiving the gas-filler hose provided on vehicle bodies. With respect to each sealing structure, openings for the gas-filler hose to pass therethrough are formed on a respective gas-filler base and outer panel on the rear wheel housing. The gas-filler hose is arranged on the exterior of the vehicle, and one end of the hose is introduced into the interior of the vehicle body.
In FIG. 1, a gas-filler base 10 is welded to an outer panel 12 of a rear wheel housing by spot welding. A gas-filler hose 14 extends through openings 16, 18 respectively provided on the gas-filler base 10 and outer panel 12 in alignment relative to one another. On the end of the hose 14, is secured a neck member 20 having a flange portion 22 by which the neck member 20 is fixed to the gas-filler base 10 by means of bolts 24, with a rubber seal 26 interposed therebetween.
Further, there is illustrated another construction of a sealing structure in FIG. 2. A rubber seal 30 is engaged with openings 32, 34 respectively formed on a gas-filler base 36 and an outer panel 38 of a rear wheel housing. A spring 40 is connected to the rubber seal 30 at the intermediate portion between the gas-filler base 36 and outer panel 38 in order to bias the rubber seal 30 outwardly. A gas-filler hose 42 passes through the rubber seal 30 while elastically contacting the rubber seal 30 adjacent one end thereof for gas-seal purposes.
Both of the aforementioned constructions of conventional sealing structures suffer from difficulties in that the former requires high accuracy in the parts to be welded and may produce unevenness in the outer surface of the panels as a result of the spot welding process, while the latter involves difficulty in mounting the rubber seal 30 which may cause an unsatisfactory sealing effect.
Therefore, the present invention eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages and difficulties of conventional sealing structures by providing a sealing structure having a plurality of different sealing members co-operating with each other.